MAJESTIC HAWKS FLY BY

October might be considered the start of hawk season in San Diego County.

While we do have an abundance of resident hawks here, the arrival of fall brings additional birds as they migrate south from colder, northern locations.

With mild days and more birds, it’s a great opportunity for the backyard birder to see some of the majestic raptors found here.

Hawks are just one family of birds that is part of the raptor group. Raptors include eagles, hawks, owls and falcons. They are all birds of prey that command the skies and play an important role in balancing nature by feeding on rodents, small game and other birds.

Charles Gailband is the founder of the Raptor Institute and a recognized expert on hawks in San Diego County. He considers this prime time for hawk watching.

One of his favorite hawks is the ferruginous hawk, which has a wingspan of nearly 6 feet. Gailband said they are now beginning to arrive in the Cuyamaca Mountains and often travel in groups of 10 to 12. Migrating turkey vultures and peregrine falcons are also starting to arrive on a fall journey that will take some as far south as Central and South America.

The most common hawk in San Diego is the red-tailed. It is also one of the easiest hawks to identify because of the brilliant red tail feathers on adult birds. It has a wingspan of about 49 inches.

The red-tailed hawk is most often spotted sitting on light poles or fence posts watching open fields for prey. Once you have spotted a perched hawk, chances are you will frequently see him again in the same location.

Red-tailed hawks feed mostly from their perches, but sometimes hunt from the air while kiting on uplifting air currents.

There is a good reason for the expression “hawk eye.” Gailband said hawks can see about eight times better than humans, which allows them to spot a meal at great distances.

“If we had eyes (proportionally) as large as a hawk, they would be about the size of a grapefruit,” Gailband said.

They also have the ability to see movement far more efficiently than the human eye. Gailband said humans see the beating of hummingbird wings as a blur, but hawks can actually see each wing beat.

While most hawks have similar markings and coloration for both males and females, the female is always about 30 percent larger. The absence of color variation means that size is the key indicator of sex.

The smaller Cooper’s hawk, with a wingspan of about 31 inches, is the next most common hawk in San Diego. This sleek and beautiful hawk nests in all trees and eats mostly birds.

Backyard birders who feed songbirds may spot a Cooper’s as he swoops in for a quick meal. Recently while photographing bluebirds in a nest box from a blind, I heard a commotion and looked out to see a Cooper’s on the roof of the box. He was also looking for bluebirds, but for a different reason.